In the quest for success, there's a remarkable truth that often goes unnoticed: the majority of people are drifting through life without a clear direction, unwittingly settling for a fate dictated by routine and conformity.
Here's how you get ahead of 99% of people in 6 to 12 months.
You must become brutally aware of two things.
The first is what you don't want.
The second is where you will end up if you keep doing the same things in life.
Observe the masses and see where mindless action leads. It's an absolutely dreadful destination by all means.
By becoming acutely aware of two crucial elements—what you don't want and where your current path leads—you can break free from the shackles of mediocrity and surge ahead of the pack. Let's dive into the transformative journey that will propel you into the elite 1% within just 6 to 12 months.
In the quest for personal growth, the ability to observe deeply is paramount. When you observe the masses, sit with your thoughts. Think them through - merely skimming the surface won't suffice. That's not how any of this works. That close minded surface level living is what got you into this situation in the first place. You need to think deeper. Don't just close your mind off and take what you see on the surface and accept it as reality. This shift from closed-minded, surface-level living is pivotal. It's what propels you towards a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you.
Understanding what you don't want often arises from tangible experiences and keen observation, a process far more straightforward than discerning what you truly desire solely through imagination. It's easier to know what you don't want from experience and observation than it is to know what you want from imagination. While conjuring grand ideas for the future is commendable, it's crucial not to dismiss the value of these imaginative pursuits. It's not about labeling these perspectives as good or bad, but rather recognizing the nuanced interplay between experience and imagination in shaping our desires.
Test it through your direct experience - Validate your aspirations through firsthand experience. Many of you are aware of the importance I place on creating a vision for your future, but the best way to do that is by also creating an “anti-vision” - a clear depiction of what you vehemently oppose. Having a negative thing, something that you despise, something that will get you angry because negative energy is very, very potent. It can be used and transmuted to actually achieve what you want in life. Harness the potency of negative energy, as it can be transformed into a driving force propelling you toward your desired goals.
It's like when I am going to the gym and I drop my kids off at the child care academy and I go up to the gym and I’ll be walking up 3 flights of stairs as a warm up and I'll just think of what my life would be without the gym especially this gym. Where would I end up if I don't push through the initial feeling of not wanting to do all the pre-work needed to get to the gym and put my all into that workout and somehow I just get pissed and I can feel that energy. And being pissed off isn't bad.
Negatives aren't inherently negative; they simply exist as part of our reality. Rather than suppressing them, we should harness their power for good. To create your "anti-vision," take a moment to become a mad scientist of sorts. Sit down with a notebook and spend 30 minutes drawing out every detail of your future. But here's the twist: start with the anti-vision. Write down every single thing that you do not want in your life. This process allows you to confront and articulate your fears and dislikes, setting the stage for a clearer vision of your desired future.
What you do not want to look like? What future for yourself do you wish to avoid? What do you not want your day to look like on an everyday basis? By confronting these aspects, your true vision will become clearer—it's essentially the opposite of those undesirable scenarios. As you craft your anti-vision, expect discomfort. It's a sign that you're delving into areas you'd rather avoid, but doing so is crucial for understanding your true aspirations.
The discomfort of envisioning where you might end up without taking control of your life is crucial. Use this discomfort to focus intensely on one significant goal, one powerful vision for your future. Unlike the aimless nature of your anti-vision, this goal should hold deep meaning for you. Your anti-vision stems from mindless action and entropy, dragging your life into chaos. In contrast, your true vision arises from intentional direction and purposeful action, leading you towards fulfillment and success.
That's what entropy does. Entropy is a scientific concept that is most commonly associated with a state of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty. Entropy, the supreme law of the universe, dictates that without intentional effort to create order in our lives, we inevitably descend into chaos.
In that same notebook housing your vision for the future and your anti-vision, become the mad scientist of your life's project. Craft a detailed plan and strategy outlining precisely what you'll do each day and week. This meticulous planning and execution will serve as the scaffolding to build the life you aspire to, thwarting the grip of chaos and paving the path towards your envisioned future.
Take charge of your destiny by planning every detail of your upcoming week with extreme specificity. By doing so, you're creating order and resilience against the chaotic forces of entropy.
Next, disappear.
Consider taking a break from the noise and distractions of daily life, even if just for a short time. Use this period to reflect, recharge, and recalibrate your focus. It's about stepping back to gain clarity and perspective, ensuring that when you return, you're armed with renewed vigor and purpose.
When I say "disappear," it's about removing the elements in your life that no longer serve you. Whether it's certain people, time-consuming games, distracting apps, or unhealthy habits, it's crucial to identify and eliminate anything holding you back. While there are various methods for doing this, the approach that has proven most effective for me is to rip the Band-Aid off—swiftly and decisively cut ties with these detrimental influences. This bold action frees up space for positive growth and allows you to move forward unencumbered by the weight of what no longer belongs in your life.
There's no need to justify your actions to others who may wonder where you've gone. Just disappear. In essence, break free from the addiction of feeling like crap. This feeling often stems from investing mental energy in people and things that don't give a shit about you. Redirect that precious mental energy towards your vision for the future. By prioritizing your goals and aspirations over futile pursuits, you reclaim control of your mental landscape and pave the way for meaningful progress and fulfillment.
By creating a system to prevent entropy in your life, you bridge the gap from anti-vision to vision. This system requires consistent energy, particularly mental energy, to actualize your goals. The key lies in embracing the "boring" fundamentals, which are anything but boring. Many successful individuals thrive by diligently performing repetitive actions day in and day out. It's similar to leveling up in a game—repeatedly logging in and executing the same tasks to gradually progress. In the real world, these mundane actions form the foundation for long-term success and fulfillment.
In the realm of gaming, you're constantly battling monsters, navigating dungeons, and repeating tasks to accumulate experience and level up. Similarly, in the real world, you must transfer this mindset to move the levers that propel you towards your goals. These actions, often deemed as fundamentals or principles, are not mere tactics—they form the bedrock of success. While they may seem mundane from an outsider's perspective—like someone diligently writing for 30 minutes every morning—they are far from boring. Instead, they are the building blocks of achievement and progress, essential for realizing your vision and unlocking your full potential.
It's mastery over misery.
It’s like how sushi chefs take years to perfect the preparation of rice, and it comes in stages. It's like a basketball player. You first learn how to dribble the ball and make layups. There is a specific way to do that well, and then you move up to the next stage, which is how do you shoot jump shots or dribble with both hands.
How do you shoot the ball from anywhere? Different distances, different game circumstances. And you have to practice these things over and over and over again, like when you were learning to walk until it becomes effortless or unconscious.
So, you open up more mental energy to move on to the next thing that will take you ahead of the people that are trying to just get a result that would usually take ten years – they want it in 2 weeks.
That's just not going to happen.
And so the question that everyone asks, when they start something new is, "okay, when will I see this result?" Like a basketball player? When will I be able to compete and stop asking that question? Because you're going to get an answer that you don't want to hear and it's going to throw you off track.
It takes years. It takes an entire lifetime of trial and error to create a project that will be known as your life’s work.
As I said, become a mad scientist. The essence of science is trial and error. So to perfect the project of your life that you are building out, it is going to take a lifetime. Get comfortable with that thought.
So this entire process of realizing what you don't want and creating a strategy and launching yourself into the opposite direction and prioritizing long term success and mastery is the origin story. You will hear this in every origin story of a successful person.
So flip the switch inside of you. Flip the switch inside of you and build a foundation that will carry you into the life you want.
